Baildon

This article is about the village in Yorkshire, England. For the hamlet in Canada, see Baildon, Saskatchewan.

Baildon
Baildon, Browgate roundabout
Baildon  Baildon shown within West Yorkshire
Population	15,368  ward
OS grid reference	SE155395
Civil parish	Baildon
Metropolitan borough	City of Bradford
Metropolitan county	West Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SHIPLEY
Postcode district	BD17
Dialling code	01274
Police	West Yorkshire
Fire	West Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
UK Parliament	Shipley
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Baildon is a civil parish and village north of Bradford in Northern England. It is part of the Bradford Metropolitan District in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire and within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies 5 miles (8 km) north of Bradford and 9.5 miles (15 km) northwest of Leeds city centre. Other nearby towns include Shipley to the south and Keighley to the west. The Baildon ward has a population of 15,368. It is highly regarded as one of the wealthiest areas of the City of Bradford.^{[citation needed]}

Baildon Moor has a number of gritstone outcrops with numerous prehistoric cup and ring marks. A denuded and mutilated bank represents the remains of an Iron Age settlement known as Soldier's Trench, sometimes mistaken for a Bronze Age stone circle. A Bronze Age cup-marked rock is incorporated in the bank.

The village is served by Baildon railway station, which is on the electrified Wharfedale Line with connections to Bradford Forster Square, Leeds and Ilkley.

Within Baildon there are several sports clubs, run from Baildon Rugby Union Football Club. These include the rugby, cricket and running clubs.

History

Baildon is known to have been inhabited for many centuries, several cup-and-ring stones on Baildon Moor has show evidence of Bronze Age inhabitation. Baildon had two manor houses; one on Hall Cliffe, the other, in lower Baildon. In the 1960s the Hall Cliffe house was demolished and replaced with the Ian Clough Hall.

One of the main monuments in Baildon the fountain or 'potted meat stick.' This was built by Baron Amphlett of Somerset as a memorial to his mother-in-law, Frances Ferrand. This still stands today to the eastern side of Browgate. In 1925 the monument was put at threat when plans were produced to replace in with a bus terminus. In the 1960s the monument was removed and dismantled, however in 1986 the Mechanics Institute raised funds to take it out of storage and restore it.

During the industrial revolution, Baildon developed a wool industry, Westgate House was built in 1814 by the Ambler family who were prominent in the wool trade, the building is now Suburban Style Bar.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, conditions in Bradford deteriorated and poverty and ill health became widespread, Baildon began developing as a commuter town along with neighbouring Shipley and Menston. In the latter years of the 20th century, the West Riding suffered from economic decline through the gradual closure of its textile and engineering industries. Bradford was particularly affected by this, however Leeds grew as a major administrative and financial centre and Baildon with its rail links to Leeds has become a strategic commuter town.

Geography

Image of countryside in Baildon

Baildon lies to the north east of Bradford, and is linked to Bradford and Shipley by the B6151. To the north of Baildon lies Baildon Moor, a part of Rombalds Moor, which has several quarries and underlying stata of coal. There are the remains of old coal pits. Across Baildon Moor is the village of Menston, the town of Ilkley and Ilkley Moor. Baildon is situated on a hill to the north of the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Baildon is 13 miles from Leeds city centre and 5 miles from Bradford city centre.

Governance

Boards of Guardians were formed as a result of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 though the Baildon Local Board of Guardians was formed in 1852. Elections were held on 16 September 1852 and their first quorate meeting was on 9 October 1852. The last meeting took place 18 December 1894. As a result of the Local Government Act 1894 Baildon became an Urban District on 1 January 1895 and was then administered by Baildon Urban District Council. Baildon Urban District Council was established in 1895 and was disbanded when Bradford Metropolitan District Council was established in 1974.

A group of local residents held an open meeting on 7 May 1997 and as a result the Baildon Community Council came into being on 26 June 1997 as a means of communicating local interest to appropriate authorities. Residents of Baildon went through the appropriate legal process and as a result Baildon Parish Council was formed which held its first full meeting 14 May 2007. Baildon Parish Council does not cover nearby Esholt, part of the Baildon Ward at District level, but includes the area North of the River Aire along Coach Road and Higher Coach Road (Baildon South West) which is within the Shipley Ward at District level.

Amenities

Baildon town centre has a range of amenities including independent traders, estate agents, solicitors and a building society. There is a Co-op supermarket and a small Tesco on the outskirts. There are rugby, golf and cricket clubs.

Churches

St James Church during move and refit in 2007

The church of St. John was built in 1848 (designed by Maillinson & Healey) though the south tower was not added until 1928. The east window (designed by Powell & Sons) was added in 1870.

St James is a painted tongue and groove timber church. A Grade II listed building, it was moved to Baildon from Great Warley, Essex in 1905. The Revd N R Bailey, rector of Great Warley, had property in Baildon and hoped to retire there. However his obituary was published in November 1900 before he retired. In 2007/2008 the church was moved again but only a few yards. This allowed the surrounding land to be sold by the Diocese for development. An underground heat pump system was installed to make the building more eco-friendly and rotten timbers replaced.

Events

Gypsy parties

Baildon was an important location for the British Gypsy community. A report from 1929 stated that annual "Gypsy Parties" had started two to three hundred years before - records were said to go back to 1770 when it was reported to be an ancient custom. In 1881, up to 5,000 people are said to have paid for admission. The event was taken over by local residents, who dressed as gypsies and formed 'tribes'. Proceeds went to the local Horticultural Society. After 1897 the tradition died out, because the 'real gypsies' had disappeared. It was revived in 1929 to raise funds for Baildon Hospital. A local resident, John Keen, contacted the "King of the Gypsies", Xavier Petulengro, and they re-established large gypsy gatherings at Baildon, recorded on Pathe News films and shown nationally in cinemas. The gypsy parties ended with the start of the Second World War and were never revived. However, in the early 1990s travellers used the Bank Holiday loophole to occupy Shipley Glen in Baildon for a weekend festival.

Harley-Davidson rally

For nearly a quarter of a century the August Bank Holiday weekend saw over 500 Harley-Davidson riders arrive in Baildon as part of the Harley-Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain annual fundraising rally.[1] The HDRCGB ran the rally up to 2001 when it moved to Berkshire. In 2003, Harley Davidson's Centenary Year, the HDRCGB hosted the event for the last time in Baildon. The rally is now organised by the Shipley Harley Davidson Club. In 2008 430 riders were given a police escort down Browgate towards Hollins Hill, from where most riders travelled to Harewood House.

Famous residents

Journalist and "Countdown" TV game show presenter Richard Whiteley was a native of Baildon as was Austin Mitchell, Labour MP for Great Grimsby since 1977.

Mountaineer Ian Clough was born in Baildon. After he was killed on an expedition to the Himalayan mountain Annapurna in 1970, Ian Clough Hall, a meeting-place and arts venue, was established in his memory. In the 1960s, Ian and Chris Bonington practised climbing techniques on Baildon Bank - a 1,000-foot-long (300 m), 50-foot-high (15 m), quarry rock-face that looks out towards Bradford. In 1962, they were the first Britons to scale the north-face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps.

Former football goalkeeper Bert Hoyle was born in Baildon. Coventry City football manager Aidy Boothroyd and sports television commentator John Helm are from Baildon. Ex-Yorkshire and England cricket fast bowler, Matthew Hoggard is a member of Baildon Cricket Club.

One Direction member Zayn Malik is also from West Lane, Baildon.

Films and television

• Billy Liar (1963) - Locations: Midland Road; Hinchliffe Avenue (Number 37 is the Fisher household)
• Damon & Debbie (1987) - Locations: St Anne's Terrace; Threshfield.
• Rita, Sue & Bob Too (1987) - Locations: Bramham Drive (Bob's House); Baildon Moor; Baildon Village.
• Monty Python (197?) - Locations: Baildon Moor.

Gallery

• 

  The Malt Shovel Tavern

• 

  Baildon Club

• 

  Suburban Style Bar, originally Westgate House

• 

  The Bulls Head

• 

  Baildon Moor

• 

  Hirst Mill swing bridge

References

External references

2004 Boundaries of Baildon Ward

• BCSP (Internet Explorer only)
• BBC election results
• Council ward profile (pdf)

External links

• Baildon Online Baildon Online Community Website
• Baildon Parish Council website details and documents related to the activities of Baildon Parish Council. Includes Heritage Trail booklets in the Documents section
• Baildon Village website Website initiated by Baildon Community Council
• Baildon at the Open Directory Project
• The Shipley Harley Davidson Club rally at Baildon Website
• Baildon Bike Rally 2008 Video clips on YouTube
• Baildon Christmas Lights Baildon Christmas Lights